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Committee backs ordinance to set aside ERAF surplus for affordable housing; amendments require MOHCD consultation
Summary
The Budget and Finance Committee voted May 22 to move an ordinance establishing an Affordable Housing Production and Preservation Fund to the full Board with a positive recommendation after adopting sponsor amendments to specify annual appropriations, geographic consultation by MOHCD, and a production–preservation allocation (up to 60% production/at least 40% preservation).
Chair Sandra Lee Feurer moved legislation May 22 to create an Affordable Housing Production and Preservation Fund that would receive excess ERAF revenue to finance land acquisition, production of 100% affordable housing, and preservation to keep housing permanently affordable. Feurer said San Francisco has produced nearly all required market-rate units but is falling short on very-low, low- and moderate-income housing, and proposed dedicating at least 50% of future ERAF surpluses to the fund.
The sponsor offered three amendments the committee accepted: clarify the board—s intent to appropriate at least 50% of excess ERAF revenue each fiscal year for one-time uses and to make those appropriations annually; direct the Mayor—s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) to consult with the Board on potential uses to strive for geographic balance; and set an allocation target so up to 60% of monies may be used for production and at least 40% for preservation, with MOHCD required to report to the Board every two years evaluating the fund—s uses.
Why it matters: sponsors and a broad coalition of housing, homelessness and public-health advocates said a permanent, predictable funding source for production and preservation is essential to prevent displacement, support small-sites acquisitions and fund supportive housing for families and youth. Public commenters included service providers and advocacy coalitions that asked the Board to prioritize family and youth supportive housing, vouchers, treatment and supervised consumption services as part of a broader ERAF spending strategy.
Public input and evidence: organizations including the Council of Community Housing Organizations, Coalition on Homelessness, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, Drug Policy Alliance and San Francisco AIDS Foundation urged the committee to adopt the measure and to use ERAF funds for small-sites preservation, housing-choice vouchers and behavioral-health-linked housing. Speakers cited prior ERAF allocations and presented specific requests in the Our City, Our Home budget (the coalition's ERAF ask was cited at about $84.3 million in testimony).
Action taken: Chair Feurer moved to accept the amendments and to forward the ordinance as amended to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the motion was seconded and taken without objection. The committee also recorded several supervisors asking to be added as cosponsors.
What—s next: the ordinance will be scheduled for the Board of Supervisors; MOHCD will consult with the Board on uses of the fund and report every two years as written in the amendment. Public advocates asked the Board to prioritize funding for families, youth, vouchers, small-sites preservation and supervised-consumption/start-up funding for overdose-prevention services.
